FabFi: an open source wireless network for $60 per node

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When the Internet first appeared people saw it as an open communication network as well as a place to learn and share. But with its continuing success and growth the regulation and control of information on the web has increased. ISPs now monitor what subscribers download (and upload) in certain countries, anonymous accounts can have their owner uncovered with a court order, and some governments have the ability to turn off the Internet as and when they see fit. There’s also the growing question of net neutrality and how far governments are willing to go to protect it.

All of the above goes against the freedoms the Internet offers, and you might be surprised to hear that one of the first countries pushing hard against it is Afghanistan. Although that push comes out of necessity rather than choice.

Look at any country that is facing unrest and you see a government trying to control the flow of information both outside of their country and within it among protestors and “troublemakers”. With most connections to the Internet controlled by a few corporate entities, this is an easy thing for a government to do. The way around this is to bypass such companies completely and setup an alternative Internet.

In Afghanistan a select few people are creating such a network and have called it FabFi. Funded through a grant offered by the National Science Foundation, as well as the savings of those indviduals involved in setting it up, FabFi at the moment is a small-scale wireless Internet located in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. A similar network is also appearing in Kenya.

FabFi consists of a number of nodes transmitting a wireless signal a few miles. Each node is currently transmitting as far as 3.7 miles with connection speeds as fast as 11.5Mbps. While the distance and speed may seem limited, the thing that makes FabFi worthwhile is its cost and openness. Each node on the FabFi network is open-source, made from building materials that are commonly available in the region, and cost a mere $60 to setup.

That low cost and open nature mean anyone can create a node suggesting FabFi could soon criss-cross the country creating Internet access completely free of government control. If a node is taken offline, another can be built easily to replace it. If enough nodes are built, then the removal of one may not even affect access.

As well as offering an open Internet link, FabFi is leading to work for those who know how to create and install a node and then maintain it. The project is also continually developing so as to support more users, embrace meshing technology, and reduce costs even further.